Coil winding machine with yarn severing device



Jan. 12, 1965 s. FURST 3,

con WINDING MACHINE WITH YARN SEVERING osvzca Filed Jan. 14, 1963 III p United States Patent 3,165,275 CGKL WMBENGMACHHQE WETH YARN SEVERENG DEVHIE Stefan Fiirst, Monchen-Gladbach, Germany, assignor to Walter Reiners, Monchen-Gladhach, Germany Filed Eats. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 251,330 Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 13, 1962 6 Claims. (Cl. 242-19) My invention relates to machines for winding yarn from bobbins or other yarn supplying coils into packages, such as cheeses or cones, of the shape and size desired for further fabrication of the yarn. In a more particular aspect, my invention relates to coil winding machines in which, upon depletion of a yarn supply coil or in the event of yarn breakage between supply coil and take-up spool, an automatic yarn seeking device, equipped with pneumatic and/or mechanical grippers, seizes the yarn ends from the new or undepleted supply coil and from the take-up spoolyand conveys the two ends to a readyingposition, such as to a knotting device where the ends are tied together before the winding operation is .con-

tinued.

In the event of yarn breakage, the yarn coming from the supply coil breaks somewhere between a yarn tension er and the take-up spool. The free length of yarn extending from the take-up spool and no longer held by a yarn tensioner or other means, may then fling about or flutter and become attached to adjacent machine parts, particularly in machines operating with a current of air for removing lint or for other cleaning purposes. When this happens, the gripper, thereafter seizing the yarn, will carry a doubled thread to the knotter. The resulting knots are faulty. That is, they comprise double threads or loose thrurns which may cause stoppage or defective products during further fabrication in textile manufacture, because such faulty spots must no longer be present in the yarn during subsequent warping, weaving or knitting operations.

It is an object of my invention to minimize such trouble by reliably preventing the supply of double threads to the knotter. Another object of my invention is to achieve the just-mentioned result automatically with the aid of means of utmost simplicity that can readily be mounted on a winding machine or on the individual winding stations of a muiti-station machine.

According to my invention, I provide a winding machine of the above-mentioned type with a normally inactive yarn severing device, and mount the device in the yarn path at a location which, with respect to the yarntravel direction, lies behind the position where the gripping means of the yarn-end seizing equipment engage and commence entraining the end of the yarn coming from the supply coil. This seizing position of the gripper is the one at which the yarn of the supply coil becomes at tached to the gripper shortly before the gripper conveys the yarn and to a ready position, preferably toward the above-mentioned knotter. In principle, the yarn severing device may be mounted on any desired point of the yarn path between the just-mentioned seizing position and the ready position. For example, the severing device may be mounted directly on the gripper itself or on other components of the winding machine such as the yarn tensioner, yarn cleaner or slub-catcher, and other yarn guiding or yarn clamping members.

The normally inactive severing device is provided with control means so as to become operative to sever the yarn down to a given length, in proper correlation to the operation of the above-mentioned yarn-end gripper means which, as mentioned, enter into action in response to yarn breakage or generally in response to absence of yarn on the path between supply coil and take-up spool.

It is preferable to provide a suction nozzle behind the last yarn-clamping location and behind the yarn severing device, relative to the yarn-travel direction. The suction nozzle is then available for eliminating the length of yarn severed from the yarn supply by operation of the severing device. It has already been proposed to provide a suction nozzle behind the last yarn clamping location seen in the yarn-travel direction, for the purpose of receiving the broken yarn end. However, it has been found that such a suction nozzle does not satisfactorily operate in all cases. It may happen that the length of yarn sucked into the nozzle becomes clamped or is drawn too far into the nozzle so that it can no longer be pulled out of the nozzle by the gripper. The gripper then carries double threads to the knotter as in any other case where the broken thread has become caught at a machine part. By virtue of the present invention, such faults'are no longer encountered.

The severing device is preferably designed as a cutting mechanism with a fixed or movable cutting edge, as a scissors-type mechanism; or the severing operation may be performed by burning the yarn, such as by an electrically actuated in the event the winding operation becomes interrupted, for example by response of the conventional yarn feeler or guard to absence of yarn due to breakage or due to depletion of the supply coil. According to a preferred feature of my invention, such automatic control in dependence upon occurrence of winding trouble or operation of the yarn feeler is obtained by making the actuation of the severing device dependent upon the position of the yarn-end seizing gripper. Since the travel of the gripper is controlled by a yarn feeler or similar detector responsive to absence of yarn, the severing device is then also operated in response to such winder trouble as well as in the desired correlation to the movement of the gripper.

The above-mentioned and more specific objects, advantages and features of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing by way of example an embodiment of a Winding machine with a yarn severing device according to the invention.

PEG. 1 is a lateral elevation of the yarn severing device in conjunction with a schematically illustrated winding machine; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the severing device, the view being taken in the direction of the arrow marked Il in FIG. 1.

The illustrated machine comprises a rigid frame structure 1 in which the shaft 2b of a yarn guiding drum 2 is journalled. A journalling bracket 4 is pivoted at 4b to the structure it and supports a rotatable take-up spool 3. The yarn F is supplied by a yarn-supply coil 12 here shown as a spinning cop. The coil 12 is seated on a peg 120 of a member 12b-which is pivotally mounted on the structure 1 and assumes the illustrated position during the winding operation. The yarn passes from supply coil 12 over a yarn'guiding member 13 and through a yarn tensioner 14 2; seeking and knotting operation described below, the spool 3' is somewhat lifted from the drum 2 and at standstill, or it may rotate in the unwinding direction'while yarn from the spool is being pulled toward the knotter. It will be understood that the guiding drum 2 is provided in. the conventional manner with a yarn guiding groove that extends around as Well as longitudinally of the drum and forms a curve'closed upon itself so that the yarn passing through the groove onto the spool 3 is being reciprocated along the spool in order to form a cross-wound package. In this respect reference may be had, for example, to U.S. Patent 2,969,198 or the copending application-of Fiirst et al. Serial No. 203,540, filed June 19, 1962, both assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

The machine is provided with a yarn seeking device of the above-mentioned kind. The gripper means of the device comprises two grippers 5 and 6 both designed as suction tubes for cooperation with a knotter 7 mounted on the frame structure 1. The suction tube 5 has a tubular portion 5b pivoted to the structure 1 to permit rotary movement of gripper 5. During such movement, the

tubular pivot portion 6b connected to the same source of' suction. During pivotal motion of gripper tube 6 its nozzle opening 6 moves on a circle shown by a dot-and-- dash line 60.

In the event of yarn breakage, determined by a yarn feeler (not illustrated) or the like sensor, the two grippers 5 and 6 are controlled to move to the respective active positions 5d and 6d shown by dash-and-dot lines. The gripper 5, when in position 5d, sucks a length of yarn away from the take-up spool 3 which then is preferably lifted from the guiding drum 2. At the same time, the suction opening of gripper 6, now in position 6d, inducts the yarn end from the supply coil 12. The two yarn ends, thus gripped by suction, are thereafter conveyed to the knotter 7 as grippers 5 and 6 move to the illustrated full-line positions. Thereafter the knotter 7 is active to tie the yarn I ends together, whereafter the winding; operation can be resumed.

During the above-described operation, namely in the event of yarn breakage, the free length of yarn coming from the supply coil 12 and denoted by F is sucked into the suction tube 10. This removes thefree end from the machine parts located near the yarn path. Since the yarn' remains clamped in the yarn tensioner 14, it is kept ready for operation of the gripper 6.

As the gripper 6 turns downward about its pivot 6b to yarn seizing position, a pin 16 fastened to the gripper 6- hits upon the arm 17 of a lever which is pivotally mounted on the supporting bracket 15, of the yarn cleaner 15. The pin 16 then turns the lever arm 17 counterclockwise in opposition to the force of a return spring 19. The arm 18 of the. lever is linked to a cutter member 20 which is pivotally rotatable about a fixed pin 21 and forms a leg of a scissorsmechanism whose second'leg 22 is firmly joined with the supporting bracket 15'. The yarn F, located betweenthe two legs of'the scissors mechanism, is thus cut;olf,.and the suction tube 10 then eliminates the residual portion F. 1

Shortly thereafter, the nozzle opening of suction gripper 6,.n0w reaching the position 6d, is effective to entrain the shortened yarn'end and to carry it to the knotter 7. Sincethe free yarn end, now extending onlyfrom the location of the nozzle opening 2 to the cutting. location, is very short, this entire lengthis readily sucked into the ripper 6 so thatonly a single thread is conveyed to the knotter under all circumstances, thus reliably preventing the formationof doublethrums or loops at the resulting knot.

The above-mentioned yarn feeler which releases the. operation Of. the grippers 5, 6, andof the'severing deyiceini response to the disappearance of yarn along the path is schematically shown at 26; It consists of'a spring-biased lever pivoted at 25d to the machine frame structure 1 and normally resting against the yarn F as long as the yarn is being wound and hence under suflicient tension between the yarn cleaner 15 and the yarn guiding drum 2. Upon yarn breakage or depletion of supply coil 12, the yarn feeler 25 will deflect clockwise. This deflecting motion releases the above-described operation of the gripper means and of the severing device. The feeler-controlled means for actuating the grippers may be identical with those described and illustrated in U.S.'Patents No. 2,- 769,599, No. 2,936,130, No. 3,033,478, No. 3,059,867 and No. 3,061,216, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In this respect, and relative to further details not essential to thepresent invention, reference may also behad to the cheese and cone winding machines available in the United States from American Schlafhorst Co., 3000 South Boulevard, Charlotte, North' Carolina, and described in the publication Schlafhorst AUTO- CONER Manual (Reference Library ofthe- US. Patent Oifice).

To those skilled in the art, it will be obvious, upon a study of this disclosure, that the invention-is not limited to the illustrated embodiment but can be readily modified in various respects, such' as by employing .yarn severing means operating pneumatically, electrically or byother mechanisms than shown, without departing from the essential features of my invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

Iclaim: r

1. With a yarn-coil winding .m-achine having take-up spool means, supply-coil holderv means, yarn guiding means defining a yarn path from said spool means to said holder means, and two grippers movable in response to absence of yarn on said path for seizing the yarn ends and conveying them from the 1 spool means and the supply coil respectively, in combination, a yarn severing device mounted on said machine near said path at a place which, relative to the yarn-travel direction, lies behind the yarn-end seizing location of the gripper for seizing the yarn end of the supply coil, said severing device being normally inactive and being actuable to sever the yarn to prevent entrainment of a double thrumby said latter gripper, and control means connected with. said severing device and operably responsive to the movement of said gripper toward said yarn-end seizing location for actuating said severing device. to cut the sup-ply coil yarn end shortly prior to yarn seizureby said gripper.

2. In a winding machine with a yarn severing device according to claim 1', said gripper being movable toward said control means and saidv severing device being actuated in dependence upon the movement of said gripper.

3. With a yarn-coil winding-machine having take-up spool means, supply-coil holder means, yarn guiding means defining a yarn path from said spool means to said holder means and comprising a yarn clamping member for retaining the yarn end from. the supply coil in the event'of yarn breakage, a knotter, and two grippers movable in response to yarn breakage for seizing the respectiveyarn ends at the spoolmeansv and the supply coil and conveying the endspto said knotter, one of said grippers having a seizing location on said path-between said holder and said clamping: member forv entraining the yarn end from the supply coil, in combination, a nortoward said yarn-end seizing location for actuating said severing device to cut the supply coil yarn end shortly prior to yarn seizure by said gripper.

4. With a yarn-coil winding machine having take-up spool means, supply-coil holder means, yarn guiding means defining a yarn path from said spool means to said holder means and comprising a yarn clamping member for retaining the yarn end from the supply coil in the event of yarn breakage, a knotter, and two grippers movable in response to yarn breakage for entraining the respective yarn ends from the spool means and the supply coil to said knotter, one of said grippers having a yarnend seizing location on said path between said holder and said clamping member for seizing the yarn-end from the supply coil, in combination, a yarn severing device comprising a normally inactive cutter mechanism engageable, when active, with the yarn for cutting the yarn end to a given length, said mechanism being mounted on said machine in proximity of said clamping member and behind said member in the yarn-travel direction, and control means connected with said mechanism and operably responsive to the movement of said one gripper toward said yarn-end seizing loaction for actuating said cutter mechanism to cut the supply coil yarn end shortly prior to yarn seizure by said gripper.

5. With a yarn-coil Winding machine having take-up spool means, supply-coil holder means, yarn guiding means defining a yarn path from said spool means to said holder means and comprising a yarn clamping member for retaining the yarn end from the supply coil in the event of yarn breakage, a knotter, and two grippers movable in response to yarn breakage for entraining the respective yarn'ends from the spool means and the supply coil to said knotter, one of said grippers having a yarnend seizing location on said path between said holder and said clamping member for seizing the yarn-end from the supply coil, in combination, a yarn severing device comprising a normally inactive cutter mechanism engageable, when active, with the yarn for cutting the yarn end to a given length, said mechanism being mounted on said machine in proximity of said clamping member and behind said member in the yarn-travel direction, and control means comprising a movable member for actuating said cutter mechanism, and said one gripper having a structure engageable with said member during movement of said one gripper toward said yarn seizing location, whereby said structure causes said device to cut the yarn end shortly prior to yarn seizure by said one gripper.

6. With a yarn-coil winding machine having take-up spool means, supply-coil holder means, yarn guiding means defining a yarn path from said spool means to said holder means and comprising a yarn clamping member for retaining the yarn end from the supply coil in the event of yarn breakage, a knotter, and two grippers movable in response to yarn breakage for entraining the respective yarn ends from the spool means and the supply coil to said knotter, one of said girppers having a yarnend seizing location on said path between said holder and said clamping member for seizing the yarn-end from the supply coil, in combination, a yarn severing device comprising a normally inactive cutter mechanism comprising a normally open pair of scissor legs engageable, when active, with theyarn for cutting the yarn end to a given length, said mechanism being mounted on said machine in proximity of said clamping member and behind said member in the yarn-travel direction, and control means having a movable member linked with one of said scissor legs, and said one gripper having structure engageable with said member during movement of said one gripper toward said yarn seizing location, whereby said structure causes said severing device to cut the yarn shortly prior to the yarn seizure by said one gripper.

Furst Feb. 7, 1956 

1. WITH A YARN-COIL WINDING MACHINE HAVING TAKE-UP SPOOL MEANS, SUPPLY-COIL HOLDER MEANS, YARN GUIDING MEANS DEFINING A YARN PATH FROM SAID SPOOL MEANS TO SAID HOLDER MEANS, AND TWO GRIPPERS MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO ABSCENCE OF YARN ON SAID PATH FOR SEIZING THE YARN ENDS AND COVEYING THEM FROM THE SPOOL MEANS AND THE SUPPLY COIL RESPECTIVELY, IN COMBINATION, A YARN SEVERING DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID MACHINE NEAR SAID PATH AT A PLACE WHICH, RELATIVE TO THE YARN-TRAVEL DIRECTION, LIES BEHIND THE YARN-END SEIZING LOCATION OF THE GRIPPER FOR SEIZING THE YARN END OF THE SUPPLY COIL, SAID SEVERING DEVICE BEING NORMALLY INACTIVE AND BEING ACTUABLE TO SEVER THE YARN 